Super Bowl 2012: Power Ranking Potential Super Bowl XLVI Matchups

A chance for vengeance, a family feud, strength vs. strength or a battle of championship underdogs. Any way you slice it, Super Bowl XLVI will be a good one to watch.

Still, some potential games are better than others. From the perspective of a pure football fan (not of a team), let's take a look at the games we should want to see.

1. New York Giants vs. New England Patriots

On the one hand, you have the New York Giants. They were literally the last team to clinch a playoff spot and have flown under the radar to the NFC Championship Game.

On the other hand, you have the New England Patriots, the AFC's top team and one of the NFL's best offenses. 

If that script sounds familiar to you, remember Super Bowl XLII. In that game, the Giants unseated the undefeated New England Patriots. This game would even have the intrigue of being a regular season rematch, which was the case in Super Bowl XLII. 

There, the Giants won the Super Bowl despite losing the regular season home game. This time, the Giants beat the Patriots in New England. 

This rematch would follow the previous Super Bowl's script. The regular season loser would come out on top. 

Prediction: Patriots 34, Giants 24

2. San Francisco 49ers vs. Baltimore Ravens

Tagline: 49ers. Ravens. This time, we really hype it.

The Har-bowl Part II would be crazy. As hyped as the first meeting between the two teams was, the Super Bowl would blow it away. For one, the Super Bowl will win the hype battle against any regular season game.

Two, the regular season game was on a Thursday, Thanksgiving to be exact. That means a short week. This time around, the week would be anything but short, as we would get two full weeks of hype. 

More than just the coaches, this would be a game between two fierce defenses. The 49ers had the second-ranked scoring defense in the NFL; the Ravens had the third.

I would look for the 49ers to get it done in a rematch. The first game benefited the Ravens, as the 49ers had to travel across the country in a short week. Still, it was a close game until the very end. The two weeks of preparation and neutral site would be enough for the 49ers in this one. 

Prediction: 49ers 17, Ravens 13

3. San Francisco 49ers vs. New England Patriots

Not unlike the previous one, the battle between the coaches would be worth paying attention to. The post-Super Bowl handshake would receive as much attention as the game itself. 

Beyond the coaches, this is a classic battle of offense vs. defense. What wins? Would it be Tom Brady, Rob Gronkowski and the Patriots lightning bolt defense, or Patrick Willis, Justin Smith and the hard-as-nails defense that the 49ers boast?

No other game would offer the extremes that these two teams have. More than that, it would be a chance for Brady to go against the team he grew up following, watching them win championships. A win would tie Brady with Joe Montana and Terry Bradshaw for most Super Bowls won. Brady grew up in the Bay Area watching those titles. If you don't think he would like to match Montana against that team, you're crazy.

Or, it would be a chance for Alex Smith to permanently rid himself of the "bust" label that had followed him before this season. This game certainly doesn't lack storylines.

Prediction: 49ers 27, Patriots 24 

4. New York Giants vs. Baltimore Ravens 

If these teams do play, it would mean that both road teams won their championship games. That's a rare accomplishment. 

What this game would lack is an overall storyline. The strength vs. strength factor isn't there like it would be with the 49ers and Patriots, the two coaches aren't brothers and while it is a Super Bowl rematch, there are only a few holdovers from Super Bowl XXXV. 

The Giants are a team that will be hurt by the long delay. If they get to the Super Bowl, New York will be riding a hot streak that will be halted by an extra week off. That would make the difference, as the Ravens would have plenty of time to game plan for the Giants offense. 

Prediction: Ravens 26, Giants 14

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